Apparatus for lixiviating ores.



2 Sheeis-Shaei l.

Patented May 27, I902.

, P. NAEF. APPARATUS FOR LIXIVIATING ORES.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1894.)

(No Model.)

1": Moms PETERS co. PuoTa-umm, WASNINETON. o. c.

No. 700,972. Patented May 27, I902.

P. NAEF. APPARATUS FDR LIXIVIATING DRES.

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1894.)

2 SheetsSheot 2.

(No Model.)

THE yonms Fngns co. PNOYO-UTHQ WASHINGTON, a. c.

I Use STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL NAEF, OF ARGENTINE, KANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR LIXIVIATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,972, dated May 27,1902- Application filed April 2, 1894. Serial No. 506.108. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL NAEF, a citizen of Switzerland, residing atArgentine, in the county of WVyandotte and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forLixiviating Ores; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersand figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Heretofore the lixiviation of ores and other pulverulent materials hasusually been carried out in tanks fitted with mechanical agitators, thetanks being worked intermittently. Much time is lostin charging andemptying the tanks, and when material of high specific gravity like, forinstance,roasted copper ore-is treated in such tanks a large portionsettles to the bottom, and the contact of the ore with the liquor isinsuiiicient and the lixiviation imperfect. In lieu of mechanicalstirrers agitation by means of a current of air has been proposed, butseldom used, and leaching appliances of this latter character which haveheretofore been proposed not only possess all the disadvantagesenumerated above, but they also require large volumes of air and arespecially unsuitable for the treatment of heavy material.

The objects of my invention are to make the lixiviation a continuousoperation, thereby effecting a great saving in the time and laborrequired; to produce a most intimate contact between the liquor and thematerial to be lixiviated, and thus to save time and obtain a completelixiviation, and to economize the air or other gas employed by allowingit to act several times consecutively as an agitating medium whilepassingthrough the leaching solution. I attain these objects by means ofa new method of procedure, whereby the comminuted material to belixiviated is caused to travel downward by gravity through aleaching-tank, and the leaching solution is caused to move in theopposite direction, whereby the contact between the particles of ore orother material treated and the leaching solution is constantly changingand no stagnation or resting of either can take place. The leaching isfurther assisted by means of a current of gas or air flowing with theleaching solution and through and among the particles of theoppositely-traveling stream of ore, the air or gas current beingrepeatedly broken up and subdivided for the purpose of agitating the oreand assisting the process of lixiviation.

The invention therefore consists of an apparatus adapted to carry outthe process and which comprises a cylinder or column having a series ofinclined superimposed and perforated surfaces down which the orcsuccessively slides by gravity, with means for causing the leachingsolution to flow upward through the tank or column and along therewith acurrent of air or gas, thelatter passing through the perforations of thesuccessive inclined plates and through the layers of ore moving downwardthereon, thereby, as will be seen, effecting a most intimate andconstantly-changing contact between the particles of the ore or othermaterial and the lixiviating agents.

The invention further consists of certain details of construction andoperation, all of which will be fully described and then pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus adaptedto carry out this process. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of thelixiviating column or cylinder; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe same, taken on the line w a; of Fig. 2.

The lixiviating column or tank A is composed of a series of superimposedcylinders 10, 11, and 12, having the flanges 13 and bolted togethertherethrough with gaskets.

13, of rubber or asbestos, in the usual way. The column thus formedrests on a basepiece 1 1, which is provided with a discharge-.

pipe 15 for the sludge, as hereinafter described. The bottom and topcylinder sections 10 and 12 are each provided with a.

ders or ledges 18. Inthe present case each cylinder is provided with twoledges, and

' in the present case, by the downwardly-extending flanges 21, thebottoms of which have the angular shape of the funnel-rings 19 and standthereon. Each hood has four of these supporting-flanges 21, which meetin an arch beneath the apex, and the diameter of the base of each hoodis less than the diameter of the cylinders, so as to have an openchannel therebetween. The special method of supporting the hoods is notan im portant feature. The rings 19 and the hoods 20 have numerousperforations 22for the upward passage of air or gas, as hereinafterdescribed, and in the case of the rings, 19 the perforations arepreferably confined to the portions'of the rings that come beneath thehoods 20, so that all the air or gas forced intothe column will meetboth the hoods and rings in its ascension. The rings and hoods may withadvantage be made-ofonecasting They, as well as the sections of thecylinder, are usually castof hard lead, but may be of iron in caseswhere this metal is not attacked by the lixiviating solution. The ore orother material .is fed into-the column in a steady stream by means of aworm 23 or other automatic feed from a hopper 24, and it is deliveredinto the funnel-chute 25. 30 is a supply-pipe for the lixiviatingsolution coupled to the pipe connection 16 of the cylinder 10, throughwhich the liquor flows into the cylinder from a supply-tank or a pump,and 31 is an air or gas supply pipe taking air from acompressor, or gas,and opening into the column at the level of the lowest of the perforatedinclined surfaces. In Fig. 2 the air-pipe connection is shown at 26, thesame extending in under the edge of the lower hood 20. V

32 is a settling-tank which receives the overflow from the columnthrough the pipe 17;, and

.the mud carried over in suspension by the liquor here settles and isdrawn off through the valve 33 for subsequent treatment, the liquoroverflowing at 34. A settling-tank 40 receives the lixiviating materialdrawn off at the bottom of the column through the valved discharge-pipe15. This tank is made with a funnel-bottom having a valved outlet 41 andis provided with a slowly-revolving stirrer 42, which keeps the mudsufficiently agitated to prevent it from settling solid and packing inthe conical bottom of the settling-tank. The motion of this stirrer is,however, so gentle as not to prevent the settling out of the lixiviatedmaterial from the small amount of liquor that may percolate or ooze outwith the sludge through the outlet 15, and, further, the blades of thestirrer do not extend up into the upper portion of the settling-tank,but only operate in the material in the neighborof ore moving downwardthereon.

hood of the mouth of the outlet-pipe 41. This is a feature of theinvention conducive to the continuous and steady discharge of the pastysludge from the settling-tank. After leaving the settling'tank thesludge is filtered in the usual way, and if the lixiviated material isheavy this settling-tank may be dispensed with and the sludge run directto filters. The

liquor from the settling-tank 40 overflows at thence glides downthesuccessive inclined.

planes formed by the conical hoods and the funnel-rings to the bottom ofthe column. At the same time the lixiviating solution is forced orpumped into the bottom of the column through the. pipe 30 andinlet 16'in a;

steady stream and flowing upward overflows at 17 into the settling-tank32, and the air or gas forced in through the pipe '31 and inlet 26 worksits way upward through the perforationsin the rings and hoods and thelayers particles are thus kept in a state of suspension and areprevented from settling on the inclined surfaces and clogging theapparatus.

It will be observed that the air or gas acts're- The solid peated'ly asan agitating force on the layers V of ore, that the entire current ofair has-to pass through the perforations of all ,of the hoods and thelarger portion of it through the perforations of allof the rings .beforeit escapes through the funnel 25 at the top of the column, and that eachtimeit also has to pass through a layer Of the ore on the ring or hood.Hence a small volume of gas causes a very effective agitation of thepulverized ore in the liquor. the material gets poorer in soluble matterit meetsastronger andless-saturated solution complete lixiviation.Thelower-cylindersection 10 is left without the perforated partitions orinclined surfaces to allow the material to settle and admit of beingdischarged as a thick sludge. It will be understood that the number ofperforated inclined surfaces used can be varied to suit the materialtreated. The space within the column around the chute 25 and above theupper hood is free from the agitating influences of the aircurrents, andmost of the lighter particles held in suspension by the solution settlein this zone of quiet before the saturated liquor flows off at the topof the column. The liquor is afterward cleared by settling in largetanks or by filtration and the small quantity of sediment obtainedtherefrom, and what is not perfectly lixiviated is treated It willfurther be observed that as IIO the condition most favorable forsecuring.

with fresh liquor in a separate tank or may be returned to the apparatusalong with the fresh ore.

If materials'of low specific gravity are to be lixiviated in-theapparatus, they are preferably introduced into the column at a lowerpointas, for example, through the opening 28a feed-pipe for thepulverulent material being coupled thereto and indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 2. When this pipe connection is not to be used, it is closed ormay be omitted in casting the cylinder-section, or the funnel 25 mayextend down into the column to the level of the pipe connection 28, asindicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 2, in which case the two upperperforated hoods have central holes for the passage of the pipe 25therethrough. Some ores produce finelydivided residue when lixiviated,and if such material is charged directly into the top of the column thelighter particles would be carried oif by the liquor without beinglixiviated. By introducing such material at a lower level the perforatedplates above the point of entrance efiect a thorough mixing of suchlight matter as is carried upward by the liquor and secures a thoroughlixiviation of the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In alixiviating apparatus, a lixiviatingcolumn adapted to be filled with aleaching solution, and having a series of superimposed and inclinedhoods and rings, alternating and presenting oppositely-inclined surfacesfor the downward passage of ore thereover, the said hoods and ringsbeing numerously perforated to permit the upward passage of gastherethrough, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a lixiviating apparatus, a lixiviatingcolumn having a series ofsuperimposed and inclined surfaces with means for feeding the ore in atthe top and withdrawing the sludge at the bottom, the said inclinedsurfaces having numerous perforations adapted to permit the upward flowof gas therethrough, together with an inflow for the liquor at thebottom and its discharge at the top, and an air or gas injecting deviceadmitting air or gas to the column below the perforated surfaces,

whereby there is a down feed of the ore over the perforated and inclinedsurfaces within the leaching solution, and an uprising of the air or gasthrough the perforations of the inclined surfaces and a successivepassage of the same through the several layers of ore within theleaching solution. 7

3. In a liXiviating-column a funnel-shaped ring in combination with aconical hood supported in line with the ring, and with an open passagebetween the hood and the ring and down through the center of the latter,the said hood and ring having numerous perforations adapted to permitthe upward passage of gas therethrough, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a lixiviating-column, a numerouslyperforated funnel-shaped ringincontact with the column-wall, in combination with a conicalnumerouslyperforated hood, and connecting parts therefor, all integral,the'hood section being centrally located with respect to the openingthrough the ring-section, and with an open channel between the hood andthe ring and down through the center of the latter, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

5. A lixiviating-column having aseries of perforated and inclinedsurfaces or partitions located in the middle or lower part thereof andan upper section without such partitions, in combination with means forthe inflow of the liquor at the bottom and its discharge atthe top,together with means for the injection of air or gas into the bottom ofthe column,

and a conducting-pipe for said air or gas into the bottom of the column,and a conducting

